This invention relates to a log splitter and, in particular, to a portable log splitter having a table that can be securely attached to the splitter and easily removed from the splitter.
Portable log splitters fill the gap between sawmills and individuals armed with an ax or with a froe and a maul. Much useful wood can be gathered from wooded areas that cannot be de-forested or are uneconomical to harvest commercially. A log splitter enables one to reduce pieces of gathered wood to a manageable size for fire wood or to provide carefully chosen starting material for a woodworking project.
Harvesting fallen trees or limbs is a lot of work, even with a log splitter. A log splitter typically includes a support beam, such as a steel I-beam, having a stop at one end and a hydraulically actuated ram at the other end. A log is inserted between the ram and the stop and a wedge on the ram is forced into the log, splitting the log. The process is repeated as necessary until the pieces are reduced to the desired size. If the split pieces fall to the ground, the work is even more repetitious as the pieces are picked up several times for re-splitting.
Several commercially available, portable log splitters do not provide a mechanism for catching the split pieces, although permanently attached trays and other devices are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,675 (Bles) discloses a log splitter including flanges on a tubular beam for receiving a split log. U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,070 (Burns) discloses a log splitter including catch trays welded to an H-beam. Each tray is supported by a brace running from the outside edge of the tray to the underside of the H-beam. U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,239 (Anderson) discloses a log splitter including an I-beam and pair of tables on either side of the I-beam for receiving the split log. The table is supported by a brace connected between the table and the lower portion of the I-beam. U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,030 (Meyer) discloses a log splitter including an I-beam and a table extending to one side of the I-beam. The table is raised and lowered by a pneumatic cylinder interconnecting the table and the I-beam.
Detachable tables are not commercially available, perhaps because it is difficult to provide a table that is sufficiently rugged and yet easily attached and removed. Further, a table must be able to fit the several commercially available log splitters.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a rugged table that can be attached to a commercially available log splitter and removed for transporting the log splitter from site to site.
Another object of the invention is to provide a removable table for a log splitter that is as rugged as a table permanently attached to a log splitter.
A further object of the invention is to provide a table for a log splitter that can easily be attached and removed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a removable table for a log splitter that can be attached to log splitters from several different manufacturers.